Recovery Vermont is offering a Mental Health Awareness training for Recovery Coaches. The three-day specialty training is a skills-based course that teaches recovery coaches to recognize the signs of mental health and co-occurring disorders in their clients and respond safely and effectively. Coaches who complete the training will receive certification in Mental Health First Aid, a national program that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments.

Dates: September 14-16^th from 9-4 each day, online on Zoom. 

Requirements:

• Coaches must have successfully completed Recovery Vermont’s Recovery Coach Academy
• Coaches must be actively coaching with supervision
• Coaches must commit to participating for the full three days
• Coaches must have access to a computer/tablet , have a strong WiFi connection, and be present on Zoom with their camera ON for the entirety of the training. 
• Coaches will complete a two-hour self-paced training as part of the Mental Health First Aid training prior to the training
• Coaches must complete a follow up feedback survey on the course content and materials

The training is limited to 20 participants

Training objectives:

• Understand the co-occurring nature of substance use and behavioral health
• Demonstrate proficiency with Motivational Interviewing, OARS skills, and trauma-informed communication
• Understand stigma, power and privilege, and examine our own fears, attitudes, and personal biases
• Demonstrate professional readiness including ethics and boundaries, identifying and understanding our own triggers, and self-care awareness
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of common mental health disorders
• Assess for risk of suicide or harm
• Understand how to interact with a person in crisis
• Identify support strategies including self-help and professional help
• Demonstrate understanding of how non-clinical coaching support differs from counseling